The Alaskan public safety commissioner fired by Sarah Palin was contacted three dozen times over 19 months by the governor and her staff, who were pressuring him to get Palin's former brother-in-law, a state trooper, off the force, reports the New York Times.
At one point, the commissioner Walter Monegan got a phone call from the director of Palin's Anchorage office asking that the trooper, Mike Wooten, not be assigned to work at a state fair in 2007, where he had volunteered for duty in full costume as "Safety Bear," a child-friendly mascot.
At one point, the commissioner Walter Monegan got a phone call from the director of Palin's Anchorage office asking that the trooper, Mike Wooten, not be assigned to work at a state fair in 2007, where he had volunteered for duty in full costume as "Safety Bear," a child-friendly mascot.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing.
Sen. John McCain's running mate is the subject of a legislative investigation into whether she abused her power as governor by firing her public safety commissioner. The commissioner, Walter Monegan, says he was dismissed in July for resisting pressure from Palin's husband, Todd Palin, and numerous top aides to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, Palin's former brother-in-law.
Lawmakers are expected to release their own findings Friday. Campaign officials have yet to see that report _ the result of an investigation that began before she was tapped as McCain's running mate _ but said the investigation has falsely portrayed a legitimate policy dispute between a governor and her commissioner as something inappropriate.
"The following document will prove Walt Monegan's dismissal was a result of his insubordination and budgetary clashes with Governor Palin and her administration," campaign officials wrote. "Trooper Wooten is a separate issue."
Monegan said Thursday that he doesn't know what to expect from the legislative panel's own report.
"I just hope that the truth is figured out," Monegan told The Associated Press on Thursday. "That the governor did want me to fire him, and I chose to not. You just can't walk up to someone and say, 'I fire you.' He didn't do anything under my watch to result in termination."
Sen. John McCain's running mate is the subject of a legislative investigation into whether she abused her power as governor by firing her public safety commissioner. The commissioner, Walter Monegan, says he was dismissed in July for resisting pressure from Palin's husband, Todd Palin, and numerous top aides to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, Palin's former brother-in-law.
Lawmakers are expected to release their own findings Friday. Campaign officials have yet to see that report _ the result of an investigation that began before she was tapped as McCain's running mate _ but said the investigation has falsely portrayed a legitimate policy dispute between a governor and her commissioner as something inappropriate.
"The following document will prove Walt Monegan's dismissal was a result of his insubordination and budgetary clashes with Governor Palin and her administration," campaign officials wrote. "Trooper Wooten is a separate issue."
Monegan said Thursday that he doesn't know what to expect from the legislative panel's own report.
"I just hope that the truth is figured out," Monegan told The Associated Press on Thursday. "That the governor did want me to fire him, and I chose to not. You just can't walk up to someone and say, 'I fire you.' He didn't do anything under my watch to result in termination."
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